Hydrocarbon generator



G. N. BLANCHARD.

HYDROCARBON GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I6. I92I.

Patented May M 3 7 n w Nt are ts an.

GEOE l\l.' BNCHARD, E FNCISCQ B TRUST, OF, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

K iliul To all it may 00mm.-

Be it known that I, Gnonen N. BLANCHARD,

I a ditizen of the United States, residing at the 1 Generators, of which the following is a city a d county of San Francisco and State of Ca ifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hydrocarbon specification.

This invention relates to a hydrocarbon generator of the type set forth and 1llustrated in Letters Patent No. 1,372,280, dated March 22nd, 1921.

The principal object of this invention 1s to provide a generator cleaner by the employment of which carbon or other foreign material adhering to the inner wall surface of the'generator tube is released therefrom, and is removed from the generating chamber, thus overcoming the object1ons to burner cleaners now in use whereinthe carpable of being cheaply manufactured, and

from which the cleaning member is capable of endwise removal eliminating the necessity of removing the entire generator from the furnace for purposes of cleaning the same;

A further object is to provide a construction which is without valves, and is there'- fore capable of being manufactured at little cost, one wherein provision is made for receiving any foreign particles remaining in the generatin chamber on theinward movement of the c eaning member thereinto recluding the liability of said particlesc ogging the vapor outlet.

A further and important object is to incorporate within the cleaning member a cleanin needle for projection into the vapor outlet or freeing the same of foreign substances should such substances collect therein. 1

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustratedfin the accompanying drawin s, and set forth in the claims hereto appen ed, it being understood that various changes in the form, propori-fi; YDROGARBON GENETOR.

s ecification of Letters retest. lgm w m g 192% Application filed May 16,

1821. serial No. 4170,050-

FQRINIA, AIGNOR TO EDWIN B."

Figure 4: is a transverse sectional view taken on line f1-4= of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6,is a like view taken on line 6--6 of Flgure 3, and

Fi re 7 is a corresponding view taken on line 7 of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly'to the severalviews of the drawings wherein like characters -of reference designate corresponding parts, 1 indicates a tubular casing open'at one end as at 2, and adjacent its opposite end is rovided with a transverse wall 3,-centra ly apertured as at 4. Threaded within theextreme end of the casing 1 is a tip 5 having a vapor outlet orificefi in line with the aperture 4.. Within the tubular casing, through the open end 2 thereof, is inserteda tubular cleaning member 7, of a diameter less than the inner diameter of the casing, and of a length slightly shorter than that of the casing 1.' The cleaning member 7 is threaded on one end, as at 8, to a casing closing nut 9 adapted for threading, as at 10, into the open end 2 of the casin toclose the same. The cleaning member is formed with a longitudinal bore 11 extending therethrough, and said bore terminates at the inner end of the cleaning member in an enlarged recess '12; the wall of which is ported, as at 13, andsaid ports are covered by a filter member 14 preferably in the form of a wire screen which surrounds the end of the member 7. It will be noted that a space is provided annularly of the member 7 between 1ts outer wall and the inner wall of the casing 1, said space affording a generating chamber 15 extending approximately the full length of the interior of the casing 1.

Adjacentv its inner end, the cleaning meml her 7 carrles a plurality of cleanlng ele passages therethrough for thegenerated vapor in passing from the chamber 15 throu h the ports 13, recess 12, and outwardly through the vapor outlet 6. The elements 16 are preferably carried by sleeves 19 fitted over the exterior of the member 7, and

maintained in spaced relation by a spacing collar 20. One of said elements 16 afiords an abutment against which the inner end of the filter member 14; contacts, and said member is maintained in contact with the element by the base of the ferrule 21 threaded over the outer end of the member 7. The ferrule is formed with an overhanging flange 22 frictionally contacting with the inner wall surface of the generating chamber, and said overhanging wall rovides a pocket at the inner end of the c eaning member 7 for receiving such foreign substances as may be removed from the interior surface of the generating chamber on the inward longitudinal movement or positioning of the cleaning member within the casing 1; thus reducing the liability of such foreign matter or particles being forced by the vapor pressure into the outlet 6 clogging the same.

Mounted within the bore 11, and extending through a similar bore 23 in the nut 9 and adapted for longitudinal reciprocating movement within said cleaning-member, is a cleanin rod 24 carrying on its extreme inner emf a cleaning needle 25 adapted for projection into the vapor outlet 6 to free the same of foreign material onpressure being applied to the handle 26 of the rod 24.

A coiled spring 27 surrounding the rod and received in a pocket in the outer end of the cleaning member 7 abuts against a flange 28 secured to the cleaning rod and normally maintains outward pressure on the cleaning rod whereby the cleaning needle is normally withdrawn form the vapor outlet 6. A packing 29 surrounds the outer end of the rod 24, and is normally maintained under pressure by an adjusting thimble 30 threaded to the nut 9, and which acts on a follower 31 in contact with the packing 29. The follower is maintained under spring tension by the coiled spring 32 positloned between the follower and the thimble 30.

Fuel is admitted preferably into the outer end of the casing 1 through one or more suitably controlled inlets 33.

From this construction it will be observed that the cleaning member 7 is capable of longitudinal withdrawal from the interior of the tubular casing 1, and that during such withdrawal, the elements 16 will scrape the inner surface of the generating chamber and release therefrom such particles of carbon that adhere thereto. The further withdrawal of the cleaning member from the casing will reamaze move from the interior of the chamber such released carbon particles, and this cleaning operation is capable of being accomplished without removing the generator from its support, or without removing the generator from its burner, or from the furnace or enclosure within which the burner is positioned.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing provided with a fuel inlet leading thereinto and having a vapor outlet port leading therefrom, a nut for closing one end of the casing, a tubular generator cleaning member carried by the nut and removably positioned within said tubular casing and affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, said cleaning member being removable longitudinally from the closed end of said casing on the removal of said nut, a carbon cleaning element carried thereby and engaging the inner wall of said casing, a connection between the generating chamber and the vapor outlet port, a reciprocating rod in said tubular member and provided at one point with a cleaning needle, said rod adapted for reciprocation in said tubular member whereby the orifice of said vapor outlet may be freed from foreign substances, and means for normally retaining said rod in position with the needle removed from said vapor outlet.

2. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing'open at its rear end and provided with a fuel inlet leading thereto and a vapor outlet leading therefrom, a tubular cleaning member insertible into and removable from said casing through its open rear end, a nut mounting the member and adapted for securing to the casing to close its rear end, said member affording a generating chamber between its wall and the inner wall of said casing, a connection between the generating chamber and the vapor outlet port,

a scraping element carried by the member for engaging the wall of the casing for removing carbon therefrom on the withdrawal of the member therefrom, a cleaning needle carried by the member and adapted for manual pro ection into the outlet port for cleanmg the same, and means associated with the needle for norm-ally maintaining the same removed from the vapor outlet.

3. A hydrocarbon generator including a tubular casing open at its rear end and provided wlth a fuel inlet, a ported plug closmg the opposite end of sa1d casing and affordmg avapor outlet, a tubular member insertible into and removable from said casing through its open rear end, said member affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, a cleaning ntedle carried by said tubular member and removable from the enerator therewith, said needle adapted for projection at one'end into said vapor outlet for cleaning the same.

4. A hydrocarbon generator including a tubular casing open at its rear end and provided with a threaded inlet, a ported plug closing the other end thereof and providing a vapor outlet, a tubular casing cleaning member insertible into and removable from said casing through its open rear end, and when in position therein having threaded connection with Said casin and arranged with one end extended eyond the open end of said casing, a longitudinally movable vapor outlet cleaning member mounted in said tubular member and projecting at one end beyond said tubular member and removable with said member from said casing, and means associated with said vapor outlet cleaning member for normally maintaining the same from contact with said vapor outlet.

5. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing provided with a fuel inlet leading thereinto and a vapor outlet leading therefrom, a generator cleaning member normally positioned within said casing and removable intact from the fuel inlet end of said casing for cleaning the inner wall of said casing, said member affording a generating chamber between lts wall and the wall of said casing, a cleaning element carried by and extending circumferentially of said member in frict onal contact with the inner wall of the casing, and a nut supporting the outer end of the cleaning member and for engaging said casing for retainlng the member therein.

6. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing open at one end and provided with a fuel inlet leading thereinto and at its opposite end with a vapor outlet leading therefrom, a generator cleaning member removably positioned within said casing through its open end and affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, said generating cleaning member provided at its end with a recess communicating with said vapor outlet, said recess wall provided'with a port affording a communication from the generating chamber to the vapor outlet, and a filter through which the vapor passes prior to discharging from said vapor outlet.

7. 'A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing open at one end and provided with a fuel inlet leading thereinto and at its. opposite end with a vapor outlet leading therefrom, a generator cleaning member removably positioned within said casing through its open end and affording a gencrating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, said generating cleaning member provided at its end with a recess communicating with said vapor outlet, said recess wall provided with a port affordinga communication from the generating chamber to the vapor outlet, and a, filter member carried by and surrounding said recess wall and through which the vapor traveling throulgh said port passes.

hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular easing open at one end and provided with a fuel inlet, leading thereinto and at its opposite end with a vapor outlet leading therefrom, a generator cleaning member removably positioned within said casing through its open end and affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wallof said casing, said generator cleaning member provided at its end with a recess communicating with said vapor outlet and with a port affordin a communication from the generating cham or to the vapor outlet, a cleaning element carried by the generator cleaner in frictional contact with the Wall of th generator, said element having a forwardly extended annular wall providing a pocket at the end of said generator cleaning member facing said vapor outlet, and means for removabl retaining said cleaning member within t e casing and for closing the rear end of said casing.

9. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing open at its rear end and rovided with a fuel inlet leading therelnto and at its opposite end formed with a vapor outlet, a generator cleaning member normallypositioned within said casing through the rear end and when in position affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, a scraping element carried by the cleaning member in frictional engagement with the inner wall of said casing, said cleaning member and element capable of Withdrawal longitudinally from said casing through its open rear 'end whereby carbon or other foreign substances adhering to the inner wall of said casing is scraped therefrom and removed from within the casing through its open end, and a removable means for normally closing the open end of the casing.

' 10. A hydrocarbon generator comprising a tubular casing open at its rear end and provided with a fuel inlet leading thereinto and at its opposite end formed w1t h a vapor outlet, a generator cleaning member removably positioned within said casing and affording a generating chamber between its wall and the wall of said casing, a scraping element carried by the cleaning member in frictionalengagement with the inner wall of said casing, said cleaning member and element capable of withdrawal longitudinally from said casing through its 0 en rear end whereby carbon or other eign substances adhering to the inner wall amaze stances, and a removable means for engaging the casing to normally close the open end of the casing and retain said cleaning 10 member therein.

' In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this s ecification.

GE RGE N. BLANCHARD. 

